Here's what some people had to say on her opening night from last week:
"There has been a lot of talk about her voice issues, etc. but in all honestly absolutely none of that was prevalent tonight. Her voice as absolutely killer, especially during No Good Deed, where Teal really just blew me out of the house. Her lower register is fantastic and she's really just a fierce vocalist. If she rests properly I see no reason why she shouldn't be able to stay around without any issue. The biggest reason I've always loved Teal though is her acting, and she was just great in her first Broadway outing. She's a very relatable and honest Elphaba and once again I found myself connecting with her in a big way. Her emotions and especially her facial expression are amazing. She has terrific chemistry with Katie and with Kyle."
http://www.witchesofoz.com/wicked_boards/index.php?showtopic=34895&st=80&start=80 "Going into the show last night, I put all the discussion of blown voices and bickering over if Ms. Wicks was worthy of being the lead of the Broadway production in the furthest corner of my mind and basically internally challenged Ms. Wicks to bring it.
And, Ms Wicks did – in many ways – do just that with her performance. All around me, I became aware, were people who were previous fans of Ms. Wicks – TWickes [their term] who had seen Ms. Wicks on the opposite coast during her runs in either Los Angeles or San Francisco. The energy for Ms. Wicks was high, the TWickes giving their Elphaba their love and support, something truly endearing to feel around you. When Ms. Wicks made her entrance, the TWickes cheered and thus ushered in the newest green girl to the Broadway production club."
http://www.witchesofoz.com/wicked_boards/index.php?showtopic=34949 Surely the question on most people’s mind would be – How were her vocals? Did she strain? Did she sound like she’d give out any moment? Is it curtains for Teal? Alas, no, Ms. Wick’s vocals were not thin or strained – they were strong and well executed. Ms. Wick’s ‘Defying Gravity’ and ‘No Good Deed’ vocally very strong and performed wonderfully, while her lower tone (which is one of the most gorgeous lower tones I’ve heard of an Elphaba) shined brightly on “I’m Not That Girl.” Despite some wonderful vocals on the numbers, I still feel she’s trying to find her footing in places – which is understandable given this, is the first time she’s performed the score in public in quite some time. If Teal can properly take care of herself vocally and find the footing she wants to go vocally, the sky’s the limit on what her versatile voice can do. Do I believe she can do it? Yes, I do. I think she just needs to be precautious and know her limits, but I believe she learned from her past and will be just fine.
Vocals are only just one dimension of Elphaba – the acting is just as important as the vocals. Unlike some Elphabas, Ms. Wicks took the basis of Elphaba – a character that can sometimes can be played too safely or blandly for people’s liking and played her with energy, heart, and emotion that really showed. Whatever Teal’s Elphaba was feeling – you felt it. Every emotion she went through was tangible to the touch, because she made choices that came from the heart and you could tell. Her transformation from optimistic schoolgirl at the beginning of Act I to the defiant and confident woman at the end of Act II was one of the best acting arcs I’ve seen from an Elphaba in quite some time. No smoke, no mirrors were used with her acting – it all came from the heart and it was very beautiful to watch.
